Columbia Correctional Institution opened in May 1986, with an original capacity of 450 inmates housed in single bed cells.

[citation needed] In 1988, a sculpture entitled Chromatic Fragments—Vortex to the Sky by artist and University of Illinois Professor of Art Christiane Martens was installed in the parking area of the prison.

In 2008, a female corrections officer was charged with multiple counts of second degree sexual assault.

James Newman and Thomas Deering both used clothing and yoga mats to scale the two 45-foot (14 m) high security fences.

[7] CCI has 12 total housing units, 6 general population, 2 SMU (Special Management Unit [psych]), 2 segregation (plus one housing unit is half for SMU seg and reception and orientation houses min/med security seg if not put to DS2 or DS1), 1 × 150 bed barracks, 1 × 13 cell R&O (Reception & Orientation).